Chapter 151 Their Panic
Tonight, all the police officers in the city are on standby.
Upon receiving instructions from higher authorities, the police officers of Shanbei Road Police Station quickly organized personnel to surround the No. 2 office building of the shipyard, striving to ensure that not even a fly could get out.
Shanbei Road is a 25-minute drive from the radio station. When Chen Zhenzhu and the others from Team Four arrived, the head of the Shanbei Road Police Station was already standing downstairs.
"Director Hu, how is the situation?" The shipyard is one of the few heavy industry enterprises in the city, with a huge factory area and a high turnover of personnel.
"We arrived at the scene within five minutes of receiving the notification. The No. 2 office building has five floors, and there were five staff members working overtime or on duty. They were already waiting on the first floor."
Thanks.
"Zheng is on the outside, you guys search inside thoroughly." Shen Zhenzhu told Zhao Qiqi, Xiaobai and the others to search every corner of the No. 2 office building again, and she and Director Hu found the five stranded people.
"The two men were playing cards in the duty room on the first floor. The two women were looking for materials in the materials room on the fifth floor. The last one, Section Chief Wang, was asleep in his office."
Since the telecommunications lines couldn't pinpoint the specific office, Chen Zhenzhu glanced at the five shipyard employees and asked, "When you were discovered, who had a landline in front of them?"
Two women raised their hands: "We have them in the materials room, but they are locked in a wooden box and cannot be used outside of working hours."
Chen Zhenzhu asked the two people playing cards, "Is there a landline in the duty room?"
One of the card players said sheepishly, "The duty room phone was cut off last week by metal thieves, and no one has been assigned to answer it since."
Section Chief Wang said, "I do have one in my office, but I was sleeping the whole time, so how could I make a phone call? Besides, I only found out what happened later."
Shen Zhenzhu carefully observed them, and finally called Section Chief Wang aside to ask, "Are you sure there's no one else in your office?"
Section Chief Wang was burly and strong, but he didn't seem very brave. He only heard what had happened when he was gathering on the first floor, and the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.
"There's really no one else but me. I had some drinks with colleagues from out of town at noon, and I accidentally slept until this time. Everyone who drank with me can attest that I drank two and a half jin (1.5 kg) of liquor, and I was throwing up like crazy."
"Sister Pearl." Lu Ye rushed downstairs, holding a tape recorder in his hand, and said, "It was found in office 302. I listened to the tape inside, and it's exactly the same as what 'The Listener of Death' said last. He appeared here and then left!"
Shen Zhenzhu's premonition came true. While the ten "enthusiastic listeners" were telling their stories, the "death listener" remained silent. Only at the last moment, accompanied by the sound of electricity, did he say that he had accepted the commission to kill the company leader surnamed L.
"The last thing played was his recording." Shen Zhenzhu turned to the five shipyard employees and asked, "Whose office is Room 302? Before Director Hu arrived, who else left from here? A man or a woman?"
Lu Ye immediately realized what was happening and called a few people to run outside.
Xiao Bai also ran downstairs. She and her team searched every office, but found no one hiding.
The four people in the archives and the duty room all shook their heads. Shen Zhenzhu had no expectations for the drunk Section Chief Wang, but to her surprise, he slowly raised his hand and said hesitantly, "302 is downstairs. I got up to get some water and saw a tall, thin person run out of the window. It should be a woman."
We've got a lead!
Are you sure it's a woman?
"Wearing black wedge heels, and not even our factory uniform, just a gray, fitted cotton-padded jacket. Let me tell you, I'm in charge of discipline in our factory. I was drunk; if I weren't, I would have yelled at her to stop..."
Shen Zhenzhu took out her mobile phone and called Gu Yanzheng, then asked a few more people to go outside and look for suspects who met the requirements.
Xiao Bai went to the tape recorder and carefully examined the marks on it. After a short while, she exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Pearl, there's half a fingerprint on it!"
"Collect carefully, and send it to the team's fingerprint database for verification later."
"yes!"
A moment later, Gu Yanzheng returned from searching outside the office building: "Nothing was found. I've been guarding the perimeter the whole time; there are no suspicious individuals."
Shen Zhenzhu told him, "At least it proves that our previous judgment was correct. He had an accomplice, a woman, who appeared here and played the recording of 'The Death Listener' at the end."
"Let them keep searching." Gu Yanzheng nodded and said, "Director Liu called us back for an emergency meeting. Director Tu has already arrived."
Shen Zhenzhu nodded: "Okay."
Gu Yanzheng gave Shen Zhenzhu a heads-up beforehand: "Two people have died. We should issue a pledge."
"Understood." Shen Zhenzhu called Wu Zhongguo, who had finished his work, over and whispered, "I need to go to the team. Please interrogate these five people again. Regardless of whether they are men or women."
Wu Zhongguo said, "Don't worry, we won't let them go easily."
Zhao Qiqi, standing to the side, said, "What about me? What should I do?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Go to the radio station and keep watch."
Zhao Qiqi said "Oh," and looked enviously at Xiaobai who was focused on collecting fingerprints. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Then I'll search 302 again before I leave."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Okay, I'll take a look with you."
"Yes!" Zhao Qiqi was overjoyed to finally have a task.
Shen Zhenzhu arrived at the door of 302, where several agents were also searching. There were no other exits from the office; it seemed the female suspect had timed her search to find a way out.
Once inside Gu Yanzheng's car, Gu Yanzheng said, "They have a certain level of counter-surveillance awareness. Knowing that the police officers from the local station were looking for male 'death listeners,' they deliberately allowed female suspects to appear."
Shen Zhenzhu took out a tissue, mixed some water, washed her face, and then got into the car: "This is also a provocation."
"Feeling more energetic now?"
"Extremely energetic."
Gu Yanzheng drove Shen Zhenzhu back to the Criminal Investigation Brigade. After meeting with the city bureau leaders to discuss the case, Shen Zhenzhu made a solemn pledge: "I will definitely solve the case within a week."
As she left the conference room, Shen Zhenzhu encountered an unexpected old friend: "Zhou Chuanxi! Brother Xiaoxi!!"
"Hey, why is Brother Xiao Xi here? You didn't call me that before. It's different now that you're a section chief. Will you be calling me 'Xiao Xizi' from now on?" Zhou Chuanxi still exuded a scholarly air. He had just returned from studying in Hong Kong and rushed over to support Shen Zhenzhu.
Shen Zhenzhu's recent gloomy mood was greatly dispelled by Zhou Chuanxi's sudden return. She shook hands with Zhou Chuanxi tightly: "It's good that you're back. I missed you so much!"
"It's both a return and a return," Zhou Chuanxi said. "Director Liu transferred me to the Information Technology Department, so we can still handle some cases together in the future."
"It's good that they're all on our side." Chen Zhenzhu quickly pulled out an evidence bag from her pocket: "There's a cassette tape in here, can you analyze it?"
Zhou Chuanxi asked, "What do we need to analyze?"
Chen Zhenzhu was dumbfounded: "Didn't you already learn it?"
Zhou Chuanxi was stunned: "You have to give me a goal."
Standing next to Shen Zhenzhu, Gu Yanzheng said, "Analyze the background noise, the original voice, and the editing techniques, and try to extract as much information as possible that can be analyzed and utilized."
"I understand," Zhou Chuanxi said. "I have to show you that I haven't wasted all this time studying."
Shen Zhenzhu patted his shoulder heavily: "I still have to solve the case. Contact me if you find anything."
“Okay, go ahead.” Zhou Chuanxi suddenly called out, “Old Shen, be careful.”
"Alright!" Shen Zhenzhu waved her hand: "I'll give my regards to everyone! We'll have dinner together after we solve the case."
The following day, the third day after the incident.
Shen Zhenzhu slept for four hours that night, and questioned the five shipyard employees again. Finding that they were not suspects, she released them.
Early in the morning, everyone at the traffic radio station was there on time, except for Ma Xiaoyang and another assistant director.
Shen Zhenzhu ate wontons at the radio station's canteen and sat around the table with Liu Mei, Xiaobai, and Zhao Qiqi, reading the morning paper.
"The newspapers are really lively today." Wu Zhongguo also came. His home is far away, and he has to travel for an hour every day to squeeze onto the bus.
"People with surnames like Li, Lin, Liu, Liang, Li, and even Leng, Lan, and Lin... How come I didn't know there were so many wealthy bosses in Liancheng?"
Lu Ye, carrying a bowl of wontons in one hand and two steamed buns in the other, said, "They were all scared by yesterday's phone call. Today, they're all declaring in newspapers and magazines that they're good bosses, that they don't sexually assault, beat, or be stingy."
After a night's rest, Wu Zhongguo was in good spirits and said with a smile, "This kind of person is just burying their head in the sand. If they were really a good person, they would be reading the newspaper like us now. Who would care if it was them?"
“Exactly.” Xiaobai took a bite of the big white steamed bun, which was soft and warm, and almost moved to tears.
“I ran into Brother Zheng this morning, and his cell phone kept ringing.” Chen Zhenzhu said in a low voice, “Many people called to ask him about the situation, but he said he knew nothing about it.”
“What a joke, they’re all terrified.” Wu Zhongguo said, “I even saw people on the bus demanding back wages making a copy of Zhang Haijun’s death and holding it up in front of the shop, threatening the boss that if he didn’t pay their wages, they would name him.”
"Don't even mention them, the bus driver spoke very softly to me when I came here today." Zhao Qiqi had already finished one round of food, so she went to get two more steamed buns and a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup, saying:
“I know that driver. He’s usually so arrogant. He never yields to pedestrians. Honking isn’t allowed in the city, right? He could honk his horn from the first stop to the last. Today he’s quiet, though. He stops as soon as he sees a person from a distance.”
Liu Mei's appetite wasn't as big as anyone in the fourth team. She was surprised to see that their first meal was equivalent to her daily rations. She sat quietly to the side for a long time and then said, "A friend of mine asked me about hiring bodyguards."
Xiaobai asked, "Is your friend's last name L?"
Liu Mei sighed: "That's why I asked, but even if I had connections, I wouldn't be willing to help."
"Sigh, do as you please." After eating and drinking her fill, Shen Zhenzhu's expression was no longer as tense as it had been the previous two days.
The pressure was too much, so she has learned to ignore it.
As Director Liu said yesterday, "We will do our best."
She knew this case was like a maze, and searching around would make one dizzy. However, when the pressure was too great, she would learn from Shen Liuhe's habit: when she was tired, she would throw the spatula aside, sit at the counter and clear her mind. Even if it was only for three to five minutes, it was much better than being exhausted and busy at the stove.
So she put the case aside for the time being, took a nap, and then had a good meal, allowing herself to put down the heavy burden on her shoulders and rest.
She's already accomplished a lot these past two days, and she's not alone; she has four teams of comrades traveling together. The current stagnation is simply waiting for the tide to rise. Perhaps the answer is already quietly growing in the shadows. Take care of yourself first, and the world will gradually become clearer.
After breakfast, I returned to the temporary office.
Shen Zhenzhu and her team investigated the L-surname company leaders in Liancheng who had a history of disputes and criminal records. They had to protect the people before the "death audience" could make a move.
Even though it's like searching for a needle in a haystack, and might be a futile effort, everyone remains enthusiastic. What if? Right?
Despite the outside noise and the constant inquiries from acquaintances about the case, Shen Zhenzhu and her team ignored it all.
“There aren’t many sexual assault cases, but quite a few harassment cases. And there are also rich and bad-tempered ones, all of them are here.” Xiaobai laid out a long list on the table, and the four groups of people surrounded the list of over a hundred people, not knowing where to start.
"Brother Zheng, do you know anyone here? Can you help us eliminate a few?" Chen Zhenzhu asked.
Gu Yanzheng had the same idea. He took the list and crossed out several wealthy people he had previously interacted with: "Although these people have fiery tempers, they are of good character and have harmonious families. They have all cooperated with my family and have known each other for many years. I can guarantee that they are fine."
Looking at the list of more than 90 people that remained, Chen Zhenzhu said, "Let's sort it out again. Those who are related to engineering and construction, those with criminal records and disputes, should be singled out. Although 'Death Listener' will be much faster than us, don't give up. As long as we keep up with his pace, we will definitely find some clues."
Wu Zhongguo said, "I went to check their household registration information and found their photos so that I could match them up."
Zhao Qiqi said, "Yes, maybe Sister Pearl can tell from someone's face who is greedy, lustful, and rotten."
Shen Zhenzhu was amused by him: "I'm not that good, but some people do reveal information from their facial features. For example, a lustful person may have insufficient kidney energy, which will manifest as puffy eyelids and abnormally drooping eye bags. A person with a fiery temper and excessive liver fire will have red, pitted skin, and perhaps vertical lines between their eyebrows... But it's not very accurate."
She looked at the documents again and muttered, "Reaching the end is a mystery."
Wu Zhongguo also said, "In the end, it all comes down to fate."
While they were busy finding their next target and "death audience," the city's wealthy were also busy.
It wasn't enough for Mr. Lin, the owner of a furniture company, to declare himself kind, generous, and respectful of women in newspapers and magazines. He gave red envelopes to his employees on the street to express his love for them, and also gave discounts and rebates to customers who recently bought furniture.
On the counter of a nearby shop, a videotape of General Manager Liu, recorded overnight, began to play. He stood on the stage and shook hands with one female employee after another, asking them if they were happy with their work and life. He also mentioned that the company would establish a women's union to increase the voice and benefits of female employees, as well as to strengthen supervision over upper management.
In addition, a leader surnamed Liang visited the injured employee at the hospital, bringing not only gifts and red envelopes but also reporters. He solemnly stated in front of the cameras that the employee was injured by riding his bicycle and hitting a curb, and that he would provide the employee with three months of paid leave to allow him to focus on recovery without any worries.
......
Ordinary passersby were amused by the spectacle, unaware of which person was the target of the "death audience." They simply watched the show, minding their own business.
The most formidable figure among them was Director Lin of the municipal grain and oil factory, who pulled out his medical report at a staff meeting and announced that he was already terminally ill. Please spread this message quickly to prevent innocent bystanders from making a false alarm.
Face and dignity are irrelevant when it comes to life.
Not to mention other ordinary people, even when Shen Yuyuan returned home, she found that the burly security guard at the door had been replaced by a skinny guy. After asking around, she learned that the old man was a retired veteran who had been hired as a bodyguard at a high price.
Liancheng is a domestic tourist resort city, and many wealthy and famous people are willing to come here to buy a house and stay for a while from time to time.
This has stirred up a hornet's nest for people with the surname "L". Everyone with the surname "L" is in a state of panic. Not to mention bodyguards, even security guards are in high demand.
Ring ring,
Ring ring.
Gu Yanzheng's mobile phone kept ringing.
He glanced at Chen Zhenzhu, who said, "Let's rest for a while now. I'll assign people to protect them later."
Gu Yanzheng picked up his mobile phone and went outside. Inside, he heard Bai Luofu's voice, which he hadn't heard in a long time: "Uncle, did I disturb your case?"
Gu Yanzheng closed the door to the temporary office behind him, glanced at the time, and asked, "What is it?"
Bailov said urgently, "It's like this, I want to ask if there is a suitable person to protect me and my father. The main reason is that although my family has never done anything bad, we are afraid of being accidentally hurt."
Gu Yanzheng said, "Your family doesn't have the surname L, don't you have security guards?"
Bai Luofu said, "Several of them were poached by General Manager Liu and General Manager Lin. They showed no sense of morality when it mattered most. Besides, those security guards were untrained and not as good as soldiers."
After all, they were only distant relatives, barely related. Although the Bai family was flamboyant, they were fortunate enough not to do anything illegal or disorderly.
Gu Yanzheng left him a phone number and said, "This is the contact information of a retired comrade. Ask him to arrange for a few retired veterans to come to you. Remember, don't treat them like security guards. They're only going because of me."
"Don't worry, they're all my big brothers!" Bailov's voice immediately rose.
Gu Yanzheng instructed, "Don't go out and play around recently. Don't contact your bad friends, and definitely don't go to karaoke bars or dance halls. Just stay at home obediently."
Bai Luofu said, "This year my dad started taking me into business, I've grown up... Uncle, how is Shen Zhenzhu doing? If I'm not busy, can I talk to her for a bit? I haven't heard her voice in so long."
Gu Yanzheng rubbed the toe of his shoe and said in a low voice, "I can't hear you, I'm hanging up."
Bailov hurriedly said, "You must tell her that I've turned over a new leaf and returned home—hello?...beep beep beep—"
Gu Yanzheng hung up the phone and pushed open the door.
Shen Zhenzhu was circling the three names she had selected when she saw him return and asked, "What's up?"
Gu Yanzheng said, "They asked me to borrow people to protect them."
Shen Zhenzhu snorted: "If you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear."
Xiao Bai interjected, "Looks like another jerk."
Gu Yanzheng smiled and said, "That's right."
“These three men have a history of rape and disputes, are notoriously short-tempered, and are not good to their subordinates. They are from the construction industry,” Shen Zhenzhu said. “Let’s split up and lead our teams over there.”
Wu Zhongguo pointed to a middle-aged man with a receding hairline in the photo and said, "I'll go see him."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Let Brother Aqi go with you."
Lu Ye said, "Then I'll take some men to the tall, thin guy's side. He has sunken cheeks, cloudy eyes, and a listless demeanor. He might be using drugs. I'll keep a close eye on him. If we confirm he's using drugs, we'll arrest him and bring him back to the team."
Gu Yanzheng, needless to say, picked up a photo, put on his police overcoat, and said, "Keep in touch at all times."
"yes!"
The group quickly set off in different directions.
Shen Zhenzhu brought Xiaobai to the "Royal Villa" residential area.
The two men came specifically to change into civilian clothes, hoping to ensure the protection could be carried out smoothly.
"I don't know if it will work." Xiaobai felt a bit itchy on her neck from wearing Liu Mei's turtleneck sweater and kept scratching it.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "There are still five hours left. If there is no news, that's the best news."
“That’s true.” Xiao Bai carried a heavy leather bag containing a mobile phone, their notebooks, pens, case materials, and many personal items.
Shen Zhenzhu glanced back at her, took her purse from her neck, and pulled out a napkin to tuck around her neck: "You might be allergic to this kind of yarn. If you can't stand it, remember to tell me. I'll carry the bag."
Not wanting to be a burden, Xiaobai rummaged through her bag and swallowed an allergy pill: "It's okay, Sister Pearl."
Shen Zhenzhu rubbed her head: "Don't be stubborn."
"I promise I won't argue with you." Xiaobai continued walking forward, the napkin tucked around her neck was quite effective; although it wasn't aesthetically pleasing, it made her feel less prickly.
"Sister Pearl, what's going on with Mr. Liang not answering our calls?" On the way here, Xiao Bai made two calls on his mobile phone. Mr. Liang's wife answered, but said that Mr. Liang was sleeping and wouldn't let him answer the phone.
“You’ll see when you get there.” Chen Zhenzhu saw the number written on the villa and pointed to the row behind it, saying, “It’s the one with the big lion at the entrance.”
Little White curled his lip and complained, "Let the big lion protect him."
Shen Zhenzhu smiled and said, "That's not bad either."
When they arrived at Mr. Liang's house, they rang the doorbell and waited outside for about ten minutes before the nanny came out to open the door.
"Can't you just protect them from outside?"
Shen Zhenzhu showed her identification and said, "No."
Xiao Bai immediately stretched out his toes to brace against the door.
The nanny had no choice but to step aside and let them in, calling out, "Mrs. Liang, they're coming in."
The living room on the first floor was poorly lit and gloomy. A middle-aged woman sat on a large brown leather sofa and said helplessly, "My two younger brothers are upstairs with them, why did you insist on coming over?"
Chen Zhenzhu changed into slippers and walked into the living room. She looked at Mrs. Liang with darting eyes and a flustered expression.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I need to go upstairs and see which room Mr. Liang is in."
Mrs. Liang remained silent.
Chen Zhenzhu said, "Should I search room by room?"
Mrs. Liang, enraged, retorted, "We're not criminals, what right do you have to search my house?"
“This case has the highest priority; all other authority will be delegated later.” Chen Zhenzhu walked towards the stairs, then turned to ask the nanny, “Don’t waste time, which room is it?”
The nanny hesitated and looked at Mrs. Liang.
Mrs. Liang suddenly covered her face and started crying: "He...he's not home. He said he went to the company, but I couldn't find him there. Later, I heard that he went to his mistress's place. How am I supposed to tell the police? It's so embarrassing!"
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Author's Note: Pearl: Almost there, almost there! My little boat will surely float up!
***
See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes! [Let me see]
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